Not all writers intend on becoming writers. In school and college, I wasn't a big fan of writing. I didn't feel I had a narrative voice and I didn't pursue any formal training. As I went about my post-college years until my mid-thirties, my experiences started to color my mind. After traveling, working, starting a family, I started to feel I might have something to contribute by writing. In a job that didn't require it, I volunteered to start writing a blog. The original goal was to inspire others to do the same. Along the way, I realized I had something unique to contribute and I looked forward to writing.

It's been a few years and jobs later, but I'm still blogging. As readers will note, the regularity and subject matter has shifted as time has passed but a post a week has been the bare minimum generally. The last few months the muse hasn't spoken to me as often as I grapple with shifting employment or unemployment demands. This past fall, I used the blog to promote my weekly column on EpicPoker but after fourteen contributions, the column has been put on hiatus for now while they rethink their direction.

I'm currently pitching a new business to some investors while I do freelance writing on the side. I am doing the market research and due diligence necessary to see the project beyond conception to reality but you can never fully predict a new business. From Thanksgiving until now, there has seemingly been constant holiday or family commitments that have taken from my usual workaholic schedule. Due to constant budget cuts the last few years, having a four day school week is the norm, with three week Xmas break too. My son turned 13 on Saturday joining the teenage world with an outing with his best friends to an Airsoft arena shooting extravaganza and sleepover along with three indoor soccer and Futsal games over the weekend. On Sunday after the morning game, it was seven hours of driving up and back to Seattle for my daughter's ballet tryouts. Her goal is to have her summer ballet intensive program at an east coast city, so we have to return to Seattle two out of the next three Sundays for the 7 hour round trip. For good or bad, my slackening work demands have allowed me to be there for my kid's constant soccer and ballet demands of late.

One last area to touch on today...I noticed Phil Galfond made an extensive blog post decrying the current state of the game along with some suggestions for improving or fixing the current problems. I had thought of breaking down all the arguments, but it's a big project so I will summarize my initial reaction.

1. Everyone who gives advice is looking out for their own interest whether it be the high stakes shark, fish, reg, or whatever title you give them. It was obvious many of Phil's suggestions catered to adding to his personal win rate.
2. There are pros and cons to each suggestion or solution. As such, no one solution pleases everyone. Making poker an easy and fun experience for both pros and recreational players is difficult due to the inherent different goals of the players.
3. The online poker room priorities are typically 1) increase deposits, their overall liquidity pool 2) to increase their rake intake. This can be accomplished by various methods including increasing the volume of play or higher rake paid per hand/mtt. Safety, security and the player's interests are only secondary priorities.

I applaud Phil for trying to open up the dialogue and stir debate on these important online poker issues. Players of all levels and abilities need to speak out and be heard, otherwise they simply become pawns of others.